Monday, January 2

On to our next challenge...

So many people in South Africa are dying of AIDS. It is a horrible thing to see little kids sick with HIV, knowing that they may end up having AIDS and dying someday. Thanks to Antiretrovirals, Aids can be reversed. I have met a child that used to have AIDS, but now only has HIV. These meds are not a cure, they are just a means of helping the infected person, child, live a somewhat normal life.

I've learned a lot since I have been here.

Tonight, I got to play with some of the kids here at the orphanage for the last time and I cried when I came back into the room. Who will love these kids? If not for Beautiful Gate, they would have died. True. Sad, but true. Most parents either died or abandoned them. It kinda sucks.

Luckily they have mommas in each cottage that love them very much.

Anyway, we are heading out from Beautiful Gate tomorrow and taking a train to Worcester - pronounced "Wooster" - to train to work at a summer camp for about ten days after that. We probably will not have internet acces during the next two weeks, and internet cafe's can be quite expensive. I just wanted to let you all know that, so you didn't think something bad happened.

Please remember to pray for our team. We have some people that I know are not adjusting that well to outreach life and such tight community life. It's hard to be patient with people sometimes.

Also, my leader has brought some things to my attention that I do and I am trying to sort through what God has in that for me. I am trying to discern whether what she is saying is just personal preference from her or members of the team, or something that is a character flaw within me.

Yeah, none of us really know what to expect from this camp deal so just keep our team in your prayers in that as well. It may be overwhelming. It may be chill. We really don't know what to think yet. I am not sure what to do. I have only been a camp counselor once... Last year. I have no idea what we are getting ourselves into. I'm ready for the adventure though.

By the way, I have now officially tried kidney and liver stew, and that's all I have to say about that.

I really love South Africa. I'd stay if I could. It's amazing here. And the youghurt is tasty. Haha.